Vampire Academy
by Rose-Dimitri-Hathaway-Belikov
Summary: This is just a fanfic about Rose reading the Vampire Academy book to her friends. They will finally get to see how her mind works...  *ON HOLD*
1. Chapter 1

Each of us sat in the lounge room, Dimitri, Lissa, Christian, Eddie, Adrian and Mia. We had found a book containing every thought I've ever held.

"Who's going to read first?" Mia asked.

"I will... It's my head" I told her, picking up the first book. "Chapter one..."

"**I felt her fear before I heard her screams. Her nightmare pulsed into me, shaking me out of my own dream, which had had something to do with a beach and some hot guy rubbing suntan oil on me. Images—hers, not mine—tumbled through my mind: fire and blood, the smell of smoke, the twisted metal of a car**.**"**

"Oh god..." Lissa whimpered into Christians shoulder.

"It's okay Liss," He soothed.

"**The pictures wrapped around me, suffocating me, until some rational part of my brain reminded me that this wasn't **_**my**_** dream. I woke up, strands of long, dark hair sticking to my forehead. Lissa lay in her bed, thrashing and screaming. I bolted out of mine, quickly crossing the few feet that separated us."**

"Wow Rose, you're really detailed in your mind," Eddie joked and I laughed, continuing on with the story...

"**Liss," I said, shaking her. "Liss, wake up."  
Her screams dropped off, replaced by soft whimpers. "Andre," she moaned. "Oh, God."  
I helped her sit up. "Liss, you aren't there anymore. Wake up."  
After a few moments, her eyes fluttered open, and in the dim lighting, I could see a flicker of consciousness start to take over."**

"You take a really long time to wake up," Mia observed, looking at Lissa.

She laughed, "I'm not as bad as Rose..."

"Hey!" I said before continuing on with the story.

"**Her frantic breathing slowed, and she leaned into me, resting her head against my shoulder. I put an arm around her and ran a hand over her hair.  
"It's okay," I told her gently. "Everything's okay."**

"Awe, Rosie taking care of little Lissie" Christian mocked and we both glared at him.

"**I had that dream."  
"Yeah. I know."  
We sat like that for several minutes, not saying anything else. When I felt her emotions calm down, I leaned over to the nightstand between our beds and turned on the lamp. It glowed dimly, but neither of us really needed much to see by. Attracted by the light, our housemate's cat, Oscar, leapt up onto the sill of the open window."**

"You guys had a cat!" Mia squealed, "How cute!"

"Weren't you listening?" Eddie stated matter-of-factly, "It was their _housemate's_ cat!" Mia scowled and I read on...

"**He gave me a wide berth—animals don't like Dhampirs, for whatever reason—but jumped onto the bed and rubbed his head against Lissa, purring softly. Animals didn't have a problem with Moroi, and they all loved Lissa in particular. Smiling, she scratched his chin, and I felt her calm further.  
"When did we last do a feeding?" I asked, studying her face. Her fair skin was paler than usual. Dark circles hung under her eyes and there was an air of frailty about her."**

Eddie and Mia looked shocked; they were the only ones who didn't know about Lissa feeding off me.

"**School had been hectic this week, and I couldn't remember the last time I'd given her blood. "It's been like... more than two days, hasn't it? Three? Why didn't you say anything?"  
She shrugged and wouldn't meet my eyes. "You were busy. I didn't want to—"  
"Screw that," I said, shifting into a better position. No wonder she seemed so weak"**

Reading all this aloud was extremely embarrassing for me but I knew I could trust everyone here and I knew they wouldn't judge us, we were desperate.

"**Oscar, not wanting me any closer, leapt down and returned to the window, where he could watch at a safe distance. "Come on. Let's do this."  
"Rose—"  
"Come **_**on**_**. It'll make you feel better." I tilted my head and tossed my hair back, baring my neck. I saw her hesitate, but the sight of my neck and what it offered proved too powerful. A hungry expression crossed her face, and her lips parted slightly, exposing the fangs she normally kept hidden while living among humans. Those fangs contrasted oddly with the rest of her features. With her pretty face and pale blonde hair, she looked more like an angel than a vampire."**

Lissa blushed, "Rose..."

"You know it's true," Christian and I said at the same time.

"**As her teeth neared my bare skin, I felt my heart race with a mix of fear and anticipation. I always hated feeling the latter, but it was nothing I could help, a weakness I couldn't shake. Her fangs bit into me, hard, and I cried out at the brief flare of pain. Then it faded, replaced by a wonderful, golden joy that spread through my body. It was better than any of the times I'd been drunk or high. Better than sex—or so I imagined, since I'd never done it."**

"You never had sex before then?" Eddie exclaimed and I shook my head, blushing.

"You used to get high?" Adrian questioned and I nodded, ashamed. "We are a match made in heaven." Dimitri glared at him. Adrian knew Dimitri and I are together and he just did this to annoy him.

"Anyway go back to describing the rush," Mia said, excitedly.

"**It was a blanket of pure, refined pleasure, wrapping me up and promising everything would be right in the world. On and on it went. The chemicals in her saliva triggered an endorphin rush, and I lost track of the world, lost track of who I was"**

"Well there's a shock!" Christian stated, sarcastically. Lissa elbowed him and gestured for me to continue.

"**Then, regretfully, it was over. It had taken less than a minute.  
She pulled back, wiping her hand across her lips as she studied me. "You okay?"  
"I... yeah." I lay back on the bed, dizzy from the blood loss. "I just need to sleep it off. I'm fine."  
Her pale, jade-green eyes watched me with concern. She stood up. "I'm going to get you something to eat." My protests came awkwardly to my lips, and she left before I could get out a sentence."**

"I never thought I would see the day when Lissa was the one taking care of Rose." Mia joked but got elbowed in the ribs as a signal to shut up and not upset Lissa.

"This is boring..." Christian complained

"It gets better soon," Lissa, Dimitri and I all said at the same time. We all smiled at each other and Adrian suggested that we continue...

"**The buzz from her bite had lessened as soon as she broke the connection, but some of it still lingered in my veins, and I felt a goofy smile cross my lips. Turning my head, I glanced up at Oscar, still sitting on the window."**

Dimitri's legs started to jump up and down in anticipation and everyone noticed, suddenly getting excited.

"**You don't know what you're missing," I told him. His attention was on something outside. Hunkering down into a crouch, he puffed out his jet-black fur. His tail started twitching. My smile faded, and I forced myself to sit up. The world spun, and I waited for it to right itself before trying to stand. When I managed it, the dizziness set in again and this time refused to leave. Still, I felt okay enough to stumble to the window and peer out with Oscar. He eyes me warily, scooted over a little, and then returned to whatever had held his attention."**

"This bit I didn't know about," Lissa told everyone, "But after this Rose—"

"Liss...!" I hissed, "Don't ruin it!"

"Sorry..." She muttered.

"**A warm breeze—unseasonable warm for a Portland fall—played with my hair as I leaned out. The street was dark and relatively quiet. It was three in the morning, just about the only time college campus settled down, at least some-what."**

"Ugh Rose, get on with it! Who would think your mind could be so descriptive," Mia complained.

"It's all part of my charming personality," I joked and Dimitri sat behind me on the floor, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"**The house in which we'd rented a room for the past eight months sat on a residential street with old, mismatched houses. Across the road, a street light flickered, nearly ready to burn out. It still cast enough light for me to make out the shapes of cars and buildings. In our own yard, I could see the silhouettes of trees and bushes.  
And a man watching me."**

Mia gasped in anticipation, "Oh my gosh, keep reading! This is getting good." Dimitri and I laughed.

"**I jerked back in surprise. A figure stood by a tree in the yard, about thirty feet away, where he could easily see through the window. He was close enough that I probably could have thrown something and hit him."**

Adrian laughed, "Nice description, little Dhampir."

Mia shushed him and I read on...

"**He was certainly close enough that he could have seen what Lissa and I had just done. The shadows covered him so well that even with my heightened sight, I couldn't make out any of his features, save for his height. He was tall. Really tall."**

Dimitri chuckled

"**He stood there for just a moment, barely discernible, and then stepped back, disappearing into the shadows cast by the trees on the far side of the yard."**

"Ugh! Curse your stupid detailed mind, get on with it" Mia gushed.

"**I was pretty sure I saw someone else move nearby and join him before the blackness swallowed them both. Whoever these figure were, Oscar didn't like them. Not counting me, he usually got along with most people, growing upset only when someone posed an immediate danger. The guy outside hadn't done anything threatening to Oscar, but the cat had sensed something, something that put him on edge."**

"Yeah, yeah, the cat has super senses. We get it!" Christian rolled his eyes.

"Would you just shutup and let me read?" I exclaimed

"You know, I always wondered how you figured out I was a Dhampir that night," Dimitri observed.

"**Something similar to what he always sensed in me. Icy fear raced through me, almost—but not quite—eradicating the lovely bliss of Lissa's bite."**

"Wow that's some big words there Rose" Eddie joked

"Shh!" Lissa and Mia interrupted. "It's the bit where she comes and gets me!" Lissa was excited to be included in the story again.

"**Backing up from the window, I jerked on a pair of jeans that I found on the floor, nearly falling over in the process. Once they were on, I grabbed my coat and Lissa's, along with our wallets. Shoving my feet into the first shoes I saw, I headed out the door."**

Lissa squealed in excitement, jumping up and down on her seat.

"**Downstairs, I found her in the cramped kitchen, rummaging through the refrigerator. One of our housemates, Jeremy, sat at the table, hand on his forehead as he stared sadly at a calculus book. Lissa regarded me with surprise.  
"You shouldn't be up."  
"We have to go. Now." Her eyes widened, and then a moment later, understanding clicked in.  
"Are you... really? Are you sure?" I nodded. I couldn't explain how I knew for sure. I just did."**

"Good ole Rose, trusting her instincts," Adrian winked at me

"Well they were right, weren't they?" I replied, rhetorically.

"But it was Oscar. So really..." Mia started

"Yeah yeah, whatever. I think we covered how great Oscar was before," Christian glared, "Back to the story!"

"**Jeremy watched us curiously. "What's wrong?"  
An idea came to mind. "Liss, get his car keys." He looked back and forth between us.  
"What are you—"  
Lissa unhesitatingly walked over to him. Her fear poured into me through our psychic bond, but there was something else too: her complete faith that I would take care of everything, that we would be safe. Like always, I hoped I was worthy of that kind of trust."**

"Of course you are Rose!" Lissa smiled

"Shh!" Mia said, interrupting the best friend moment.

"**She smiled broadly and gazed directly into his eyes. For a moment, Jeremy just stared, still confused, and then I saw a thrall seize him. His eyes glazed over, and he regarded her adoringly."**

Christian scoffed at this, obviously jealous.

"**We need to borrow your car," she said in a gentle voice. "Where are your keys?" He smiled, and I shivered. I had a high resistance to compulsion, but I could still feel its effects when it was directed at another person. That, and I'd been taught my entire life that using it was wrong. Reaching into his pocket, Jeremy handed over a set of keys hanging on a large red key chain. "Thank you," said Lissa. "And where is it parked?"**

"Wow your good at that," Mia observed, "I can almost feel myself wanting to hand you my own car keys." Lissa laughed at the weak joke and I continued to read.

"**Down the street," he said dreamily. "At the corner. By Brown." Four blocks away.  
"Thank you," she repeated, backing up. "As soon as we leave, I want you to go back to studying. Forget you ever saw us tonight." He nodded obligingly. I got the impression he would have walked off a cliff for her right then if she'd asked."**

Lissa laughed at my outlandish thoughts.

"**All humans were susceptible to compulsion, but Jeremy appeared weaker than most. That came in handy right now. "Come on," I told her. "We've got to move." We stepped outside, heading toward the corner he's named. I was still dizzy from the bite and kept stumbling, unable to move as quickly as I wanted. Lissa had to catch hold of me a few times to stop me from falling."**

Christian started to laugh for no known reason and we all just stared at him like he was crazy... which maybe he was.

"**All the time, that anxiety rushed into me from her mind. I tried my best to ignore it; I had my own fears to deal with.  
"Rose... what are we going to do if they catch us?" she whispered.  
"They won't," I said, fiercely. "I won't let them."  
"But if they've found us—"  
"They found us before. They didn't catch us then. We'll just drive over to the train station and go to L.A. They'll lose the trail."**

I could feel Dimitri's breath against my neck as he leaned his chin on my shoulder. "That's a good last minute plan, Rose..." He admired and I smiled.

"**I made it sound simple. I always did, even though there was nothing simple about being on the run from the people we'd grown up with. We'd been doing it for two years, hiding wherever we could and just trying to finish high school. Our senior year had just started, and living on a college campus had seemed safe. We were so close to freedom."**

Lissa looked deep in thought as she slipped into her memories, re-living that night.

"**She said nothing more, and I felt her faith in me surge up once more. This was the way it had always been between us. I was the one who took action, who made sure things happened—sometimes recklessly so. She was the more responsible one, the one who thought things out and researched them extensively before acting. Both styles had their uses, but at the moment, recklessness was called for. We didn't have time to hesitate."**

"Here here," Adrian said, gesturing with his glass and then swallowing the last of its contents.

"**Lissa and I had been best friends ever since kindergarten, when our teacher had paired us together for writing lessons. Forcing five-year-olds to spell **_**Vasilisa Dragomir**_** and **_**Rosemarie Hathaway**_** was beyond cruel, and we'd—or rather, I'd—responded appropriately. I'd chucked my book at our teacher and called her a fascist bastard. I hadn't known what those words meant, but I'd known how to hit a moving target.  
Lissa and I had been inseparable ever since."**

Everyone laughed at the memory whilst Lissa and I just smiled, stupidly, at each other.

"Of course you two would bond over something as stupid as that," Dimitri observed, amused.

"**Do you hear that?" she asked suddenly. It took a few seconds to pick up what her sharper senses already had. Footsteps, moving fast. I grimaced. We had two more blocks to go.  
"We've got to run for it," I said, catching hold of her arm.  
"But you can't—"  
"**_**Run**_**."**

"Gee, bossy much?" Mia winked at me.

"You guys are gonna get bored cause from now on it's just my thoughts..." They all shrugged so I continued on with my life story.

"**It took every ounce of my willpower not to pass out on the sidewalk. My body didn't want to run after losing blood or while still metabolizing the effects of her saliva. But I ordered my muscles to stop their bitching and clung to Lissa as our feet pounded against the concrete. Normally I could have outrun her without any extra effort—particularly since she was barefoot—but tonight, she was all that held me upright."**

"How can you order your muscles to stop their bitching?" Eddie asked in confusion.

"I have no idea. They listen to me though..." Everyone looked at me like I was crazy, even though I couldn't see Dimitri's face, I was sure that he had a look of understanding.

"**The pursuing footsteps grew louder, closer. Black stars danced before my eyes. Ahead of us, I could make out Jeremy's green Honda. Oh God, if we could just make it—  
Ten feet from the car, a man stepped directly into our path. We came to a screeching halt, and I jerked Lissa back by her arm. It was **_**him**_**, the guy I'd seen across the street watching me."**

"You make me sound like a stalker," Dimitri sounded offended and I laughed.

"Well technically you were stalking us..."

"**He was older than us, maybe mid-twenties, and as tall as I'd figured, probably six-six or six-seven. And under different circumstances—say, when he wasn't holding up our desperate escape—I would have thought he was hot."**

Dimitri and Lissa chuckled, "Even in the midst of action you can't get over Dimitri's looks," she joked and I narrowed my eyes at her.

"**Shoulder-length brown hair, tied back into a short ponytail. Dark brown eyes. A long brown coat—a duster, I thought it was called. But his hotness was irrelevant now."**

That earned me another laugh but this time from everyone.

"Hey, shutup, okay? If you were me you would have been thinking the same thing." I told them, hiding my blush.

"Uh huh," Christian replied jokingly.

"**He was only an obstacle keeping Lissa and me away from the car and our freedom. The footsteps behind us slowed, and I knew our pursuers had caught up. Off to the sides, I detected more movement, more people closing in. God. They'd sent almost a dozen guardians to retrieve us. I couldn't believe it. The queen herself didn't travel with that many."**

"You two were considered lethal," Adrian intervened, "Dangerous, smart, quick to act..."

"How do you know?" I asked him

"News of your escape had travelled to the Royal Court and they were only some of the rumours."

Mia glared at him, "I want to see what Dimitri does, keep reading!"

"**Panicked and not entirely in control of my higher reasoning, I acted out of instinct. I pressed up to Lissa, keeping her behind me and away from the man who appeared to be the leader. "Leave her alone," I growled. "Don't touch her." His face was unreadable, but he held out his hands in what was apparently supposed to be some sort of calming gesture, like I was a rabid animal he was planning to sedate."**

"You sound like a rabid animal ready to _be_ sedated," Christian blurted out. Lissa elbowed him and Dimitri chuckled.

"**I'm not going to—" He took a step forward. Too close. I attacked him, leaping out in an offensive maneuver I hadn't used in two years, not since Lissa and I had run away. The move was stupid, another reaction born of instinct and fear. And it was hopeless. He was a skilled guardian, not a novice who hadn't finished his training. He also wasn't weak and on the verge of passing out."**

"Wow I always knew you acted on impulse but that was... stupid" Eddie clarified

"Yeah I know" I told him.

"**And man, was he fast. I'd forgotten how fast guardians could be, how they could move and strike like cobras. He knocked me off as though brushing away a fly, and his hands slammed into me and sent me backwards."**

I blushed as I read this allowed, not wanting everyone to know how weak I used to be.

"**I don't think he meant to strike that hard—probably just intended to keep me away—but my lack of coordination interfered with my ability to respond. Unable to catch my footing, I started to fall, heading straight toward the sidewalk at a twisted angle, hip-first. It was going to hurt. A **_**lot**_**."**

"Ouch..." Eddie winced and I smiled.

"**Only it didn't. Just as quickly as he'd blocked me, the man reached out and caught my arm, keeping me upright. When I'd steadied myself, I noticed he was staring at me—or, more precisely at my neck. Still disorientated, I didn't get it right away. Then, slowly, my free hand reached up to the side of my throat and lightly touched the wound Lissa had made earlier. When I pulled my fingers back, I saw slick, dark blood on my skin."**

"Eww," Mia crinkled her nose and I shook my head at how girly she can be sometimes.

"What the hell Mia, you drink blood for a living and you can't stand a bit of blood from a wound?" Christian mumbled she just glared at him.

"**Embarrassed, I shook my hair so that it fell forward around my face. My hair was thick and long and completely covered my neck. I'd grown it out for precisely this reason. The guy's dark eyes lingered on the now-covered bite a moment longer and then met mine. I returned his look defiantly and quickly jerked out of his hold. He let me go, though I knew he could have restrained me all night if he'd wanted."**

"That's true..." He whispered, I could hear a smile in his voice. Nobody else heard.

"**Fighting the nauseating dizziness, I backed toward Lissa again, bracing myself for another attack. Suddenly, her hand caught hold of mine. "Rose," she said quietly. "Don't." Her words had no effect on me at first, but calming thoughts gradually began to settle in my mind, coming across through the bond. It wasn't exactly compulsion—she wouldn't use that on me—but it was effectual, as was the fact that we were hopelessly outnumbered and outclassed."**

Lissa looked guilty for a moment, probably remembering all the time she had used compulsion on me and how much faith I had in her that she wouldn't do it.

"**Even I knew struggling would be pointless. The tension left my body, and I sagged in defeat. Sensing my resignation, the man stepped forward, turning his attention to Lissa. His face was calm. He swept her a bow and managed to look graceful going it, which surprised me considering his height. "My name is Dimitri Belikov," he said. I could hear a faint Russian accent. "I've come to take you back to St. Vladimir's Academy, Princess."**

"That's the end of chapter one." I told everyone.

"Ooh, cliff hanger!" Mia said excitedly.


	2. Chapter 2

"Who wants to read chapter two?" I asked

Adrian stuck his hand up, "I will!" I handed him the book and he cleared his throat, "Chapter two... In Rose's point of view, of course." We all rolled our eyes.

"**My hatred notwithstanding. I had to admit Dimitri Beli-whatever was pretty smart. After they'd carted us off to the airport and onto the Academy's private jet, he'd taken one look at the two of us whispering and ordered us separated."**

Dimitri chuckled at the fact that I forgot his last name, "I'm not good with Russian words... you know that," I muttered at him.

"**Don't let them talk to each other," he warned the guardian who escorted me to the back of the plane. "Five minutes together, and they'll come up with an escape plan." I shot him a haughty look and stormed off down the aisle. Never mind the fact that we **_**had**_** been planning an escape."**

"Wow I never realised how much you hated me," He tried to sound offended but I saw through it.

"Yeah, you were a real asshole." I joked.

"**As it was, things didn't look good for our heroes—or heroines, rather. Once we were in the air, our odds of escape dropped further. Even supposing a miracle occurred and I did manage to take out all ten guardians, we'd sort of have a problem in getting off the plane. I figured they might have parachutes aboard somewhere, but in the unlikely event I'd be able to operate one, there was still that little issue of survival, seeing as we'd probably land somewhere in the Rocky Mountains."**

"You're such a trooper Rose," Lissa said, "I thought you gave up trying to escape the moment they caught us."

"I was trying to keep you safe; of course I was still trying." I rolled my eyes at her silly comment.

"**No, we weren't getting off this plane until it landed in backwoods Montana. I'd have to think of something then, something that involved getting past the Academy's magical wards and ten times as many guardians. Yeah. No problem."**

"For you, I wouldn't have seen it as a problem," Adrian said to me.

"For me, now maybe...? But back then I hardly even knew how to throw a punch..." I told him.

"**Although Lissa sat at the front with the Russian guy, her fear sang back to me, pounding inside my head like a hammer. My concern for her cut into my fury. They couldn't take her back **_**there**_**, not to that place. I wonder if Dimitri might have hesitated if he knew what I knew. Probably not. He didn't care."**

"But you never really told me why you left. If you were to ask me now then of course I would have cared." He interrupted Adrian from reading.

"You'll find out, all of you will..." I promised and Lissa nodded, confirming my statement.

"**As it was, her emotions grew so strong that for a moment I had the disorientating sensation of sitting in her seat—in her **_**skin**_** even. It happened sometimes, and without much warning, she'd pull me right into her head. Dimitri's tall frame sat beside me, and my hand—**_**her**_** hand—gripped a bottle of water. He leaned forward to pick something up, revealing six tiny symbols tattooed on the back of his neck: **_**molnija**_** marks. They looked like two streaks of jagged lightning crossing in an X symbol."**

"Why do you explain things to yourself that you already know?" Christian asked impatiently.

"I don't know. It's just how I think. Get over it," I shot back.

"**One for each Strigoi he had killed. Above them was a twisting line, sort of like a snake, that marked him as a guardian. The promise mark. Blinking, I fought against her and shifted back into my own head with a grimace. I hated when that happened. Feeling Lissa's emotions was one thing, but slipping into her was something we both despised. She saw it as an invasion of privacy, so I usually didn't tell her when it happened."**

Adrian laughed at this for no known reason, much like Christian had before.

"**Neither of us could control it. It was another effect of the bond, a bond neither of us fully understood. Legends existed about psychic links between guardians and their Moroi, but the stories had never mentioned anything like this. We fumbled through it as best we could."**

"True that," Lissa nodded once and I laughed.

"**Near the end of the flight, Dimitri walked back to where I sat and traded places with the guardian beside me. I pointedly turned away, staring out the window absentmindedly. Several moments of silence passed. Finally, he said, "Were you really going to attack all of us?" I didn't answer. "Doing that... protecting her like that—it was very brave." He paused. "**_**Stupid**_**, but still brave. Why did you even try it?"**

"Awe your first conversation!" Lissa said in an awed voice.

"**I glanced over at him, brushing hair out of my face so I could look him levelly in the eye. "Because I'm her guardian." I turned back toward the window. After another quiet moment, he stood up and returned to the front of the jet. When we landed, Lissa and I had no choice but to let the commandos drive us out to the Academy."**

"You make defeat sound painful," Lissa observed with a small smile.

"I'm pretty sure defeat is painful, for Rose..." Eddie answered. I threw my pillow at him and he laughed.

"**Our car stopped at the gate, and our driver spoke with the guards who verified we weren't Strigoi about to go off on a killing spree. After a minute, they let us pass on through the wards and up to the Academy itself. It was around sunset—the start of the vampiric day—and the campus lay wrapped in shadows."**

"Is 'vampiric' even a word?" Christian asked. Everybody looked at him like the idiot he is and Eddie slapped him over the back of his head.

"I didn't know anyone could be so stupid," Mia murmured in disbelief. Christian glared at everyone and Adrian continued to read.

"**It probably looked the same, sprawling and gothic. The Moroi were big on tradition; nothing ever changed with them. This school wasn't as old as the ones back in Europe, but it had been built in the same style. The buildings boasted elaborate, almost churchlike architecture, with high peaks and stone carvings. Wrought iron gates enclosed small gardens and doorways here and there. After living in a college campus, I had a new appreciation for just how much this place resembled a university more than a typical high school."**

"You make the Academy sound like some dark corner in Hell." Christian said.

I sighed. What was with him always interrupting with stupid questions or unneeded comments?

"**We were on the secondary campus, which was divided into upper and lower schools. Each was built around a large open quadrangle decorated with stone paths and enormous, century-old trees. We were going toward the upper school's quad, which had academic buildings on one side, while Dhampir dormitories and the gym sat opposite. Moroi dorms sat on one of the other ends, and opposite them were the administrative buildings that also served the lower school. Younger students lived on the primary campus, farther to the west."**

"Oh my God, Rose. How descriptive do you need to be?" Mia said out of boredom.

"At least we know that she is some-what smart," Christian then snickered. Again with his stupid comments.

"**Around all the campuses was space, space, and more space. We were in Montana, after all, miles away from any real city. The air felt cool in my lungs and smelled of pine and wet, decaying leaves. Overgrown forests ringed the perimeters of the Academy, and during the day, you could see mountains rising up in the distance."**

Mia sighed in impatience and even Adrian seemed to be bored of reading.

"**As we walked into the main part of the upper school, I broke free from my guardian and ran up to Dimitri.  
"Hey Comrade."  
He kept walking and wouldn't look at me. "You want to talk now?"  
"Are you taking us to Kirova?"  
"**_**Headmistress**_** Kirova," he corrected. On the other side of him, Lissa shot me a look that said, **_**Don't start something**_**.  
"Headmistress. Whatever. She's still a self-righteous old bit—"**

"Little Dhampir, getting frisky are we?" Adrian smirked.

I smiled innocently at him. "Why don't you read and find out. You might actually learn something about me."

"**My words faded as the guardians led us through a set of doors—straight to the commons. I sighed. Were these people **_**really**_** so cruel? There had to be at least a dozen ways to get to Kirova's office, and they were taking us through the centre of the commons.  
And it was breakfast time.  
Novice guardians—dhampirs like me—and Moroi sat together, eating and socializing, faces alight with whatever current gossip held the Academy's attention. When we entered, the loud buzz of conversation stopped instantly, like someone had flipped a switch. Hundreds of sets of eyes swivelled toward us.**"

Mia sighed and rolled onto her stomach, playing idly with a piece of her hair. It kind of annoyed me.

"**I returned the stares of my former classmates with a lazy grin, trying to sense as to whether things had changed. Nope. Didn't seem like it. Camille Conta still looked like the prim, perfectly groomed bitch I remembered, still the self-appointed leader of the Academy's royal Moroi cliques. Off to the side, Lissa's gawky near-cousin Natalie watched with wide eyes, as innocent and naive as before."**

"God, I forgot how bitchy I was," I murmured, smacking my forehead.

"Are," Christian said.

"What?"

"You forgot how bitchy you _are_."

"Whatever, Count Sparkula."

Christian growled.

"**And on the other side of the room... well that was interesting. Aaron. Poor, poor Aaron, who'd no doubt had his heart broken when Lissa left. He still looked as cute as ever—maybe more so now—with those same golden looks that complemented hers so well. His eyes followed her every move. Yes. Definitely not over her. It was sad, really, because Lissa had never really been all that into him. I think she'd gone out with him simply because it seemed like the expected thing to do."**

Lissa blushed and Mia looked slightly hurt. We had, after all, ruined her perfect relationship with Aaron.

"**But what I found most interesting was that Aaron had apparently found a way to pass the time without her. Beside him, holding his hand, was a Moroi girl who looked about eleven but had to be older, unless he'd become a paedophile during our absence."**

Mia scowled at me and Lissa giggled. "Sorry," I said dismissively with a lazy grin.

"**With plump little cheeks and blond ringlets, she looked like a porcelain doll. A very pissed off and evil porcelain doll. She gripped his hand tightly and shot Lissa a look of such burning hatred that it stunned me. What the hell was all that about? She was no one I knew. Just a jealous girlfriend, I guessed. I'd be pissed too if my guy was watching someone else like that."**

Mia said nothing but Eddie laughed at my 'evil porcelain doll' comment.

"**Our walk of shame mercifully ended, though our new setting—Headmistress Kirova's office—didn't really improve things. The old had looked exactly like I remembered, sharp-nosed and gray-haired. She was tall and slim, like most Moroi, and had always reminded me of a vulture. I knew her well because I'd spent a lot of time in her office**."

Eddie and Christian burst into fits of laughter. "I never thought of her that way, but you're right. She does look like a vulture!"

"You know me, Ms. Observant." I smiled.

Dimitri scoffed, "You're anything but."

"Hey!" I said, punching him in the arm. He smiled vibrantly at me and pulled me into his lap.

"**Most of our escorts left us once Lissa and I were seated, and I felt a little less like a prisoner. Only Alberta, the captain of the school's guardians, and Dimitri stayed. They took up positions along the wall, looking stoic and terrifying, just as their job description required. Kirova fixed her angry eyes on us and opened her mouth to begin what would no doubt be a major bitch session. A deep, gentle voice stopped her.  
"Vasilisa."  
Startled, I realised there was someone else in the room. I hadn't noticed. Careless for a guardian, even a novice one. With a great deal of effort, Victor Dashkov rose from a corner chair. Prince Victor Dashkov. Lissa sprang up and ran to him, throwing her arms around his frail body."**

"Oh god!" Lissa cried in humiliation, "I can't believe I was so naive."

"No one knew what he was capable of," Dimitri murmured in reassurance, beating me to it.

"Yeah, I thought he would drop dead at any second." My words weren't as gentle as Dimitri's, but that was just how my Rose-logic worked.

"**Uncle," she whispered. She sounded on the verge of tears as she tightened her grip.  
With a small smiled, he gently patted her back. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you safe, Vasilisa." He looked toward me. "And you too, Rose."  
I nodded back, trying to hide how shocked I was. He'd been sick when we left, but this—this was **_**horrible**_**. He was Natalie's father, only about forty or so, but he looked twice that age. Pale. Withered. Hands shaking. My heart broke watching him. With all the horrible people in the world, it didn't seem fair that this guy should get a disease that was going to kill him young and ultimately keep him from becoming king."**

"Ha," I snorted at my own naive thoughts.

"Who knew Rose had a soft side for the damned," Christian smirked.

"**Although not technically her uncle—the Moroi used family terms very loosely, especially the royals—Victor was a close friend of Lissa's family and had gone out of his way to help her after he parents had died. I liked him; he was the first person I was happy to see here. Kirova let them have a few more moments and then stiffly drew Lissa back to her seat.  
Time for the lecture.  
It was a good one—one of Kirova's best, which was saying something. She was a master at them. I swear that the only reason she'd gone into school administration, because I had yet to see any evidence of her actually **_**liking**_** kids."**

Everyone that attended St. Vlad's nodded in agreement and Adrian smirked, obviously finding all this funny.

"**The rant covered the usual topics; responsibility, reckless behaviour, self-centeredness... Bleh. I immediately found myself spacing out, alternatively pondering the logistics of escaping though the window in her office. But when the tirade shifted to me—well, that was when I tuned back in.  
"You, Miss Hathaway, broke the most sacred promise among our kind: the promise of a guardian to protect a Moroi. It is a great trust. A trust that you have violated by selfishly taking the princess away from here. The Strigoi would love to finish off the Dragomirs; **_**you**_** nearly enabled them to do it."**

I felt guilty for taking Lissa away from the Academy, but it was in her best interest. Everyone here seemed to understand and didn't mention it.

"I like your carefree attitude, little dhampir," Adrian smirked.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, whatever."

"There it is again," he smiled.

"**Rose didn't kidnap me." Lissa spoke before I could, her voice and face calm, despite her uneasy feelings. "I wanted to go. Don't blame her."  
Ms. Kirova tsked at us both and paced the office, hands folded behind her narrow back. "Miss Dragomir, you could have been the once who orchestrated the entire plan for all I know, but it was still **_**her**_** responsibility to make sure you didn't carry it out. If she'd done her duty, she would have kept you safe."  
I snapped.  
"I did do my duty!" I shouted, jumping from my chair. Dimitri and Alberta both flinched but left me alone since I wasn't trying to hit anyone. Yet. "I did keep her safe! I kept her safe when none of you"—I made a sweeping gesture around the room—"could do it. I took her away to protect her. I did what I had to do. You certainly weren't going to."**

"I don't get. The reason you guys ran away still doesn't make sense," Mia said.

"You won't get it until later on. I have flashbacks every now and then." I retorted.

"**Through the bond, I felt Lissa trying to send calming messages, again urging me not to let my anger get the best of me. Too late.  
Kirova stared at me, her face blank. "Miss Hathaway, forgive me if I fail to see the logic of how taking her out of a heavily guarded, magically secured environment is protecting her. Unless there's something you aren't telling us?"  
I bit my lip.  
"I see. Well, then. By my estimation, the only reason you left—aside from the novelty of it, no doubt—was to avoid the consequences of that horrible, destructive stunt you pulled just before your disappearance."  
"No, that's not—"  
"And that only makes my decision that much easier. As a Moroi, the princess must continue on here at the Academy for her own safety, but we have no such obligations to you. You will be sent away as soon as possible."  
My cockiness dried up."**

"Well there's a first," Christian commented.

"Amen," Adrian agreed. I shot them both glares.

"**I... what?"  
Lissa stood up beside me. "You can't do that! She's my guardian."  
"She is no such thing, particularly since she isn't even a guardian at all. She's still a novice."  
"But my parents—"  
"I know what your parents wanted, God rest their souls, but things have changed. Miss Hathaway is expendable. She doesn't deserve to be a guardian, and she will leave."  
I stared at Kirova, unable to believe what I was hearing. "Where are you going to send me? To my mom in Nepal? Did she even know I was gone? Or maybe you'll try and send me off to my **_**father**_**?"**

"You didn't even know your father back then. Imagine if she did send you off to live with him. That's a disaster waiting to happen." Eddie winked.

"**Her eyes narrowed at the bite in that last word. When I spoke again, my voice was so cold, I barely recognised it. "Or maybe you're going to try and send me off to be a blood whore. Try that, and we'll be gone by the end of the day."  
"Miss Hathaway," she hissed, "you are out of line."  
"They have a bond," Dimitri's low, accented voice broke the heavy tension, we all turned toward him. I think Kirova had forgotten he was there, but I hadn't."**

Dimitri smiled. He obviously didn't think my attraction to him went back as far as the night we met.

"**His presence was way too powerful to ignore. He still stood against the wall, looking like some sort of cowboy sentry in that ridiculous long coat of his. He looked at me, not Lissa, his dark eyes staring straight through me. "Rose knows what Vasilisa is feeling. Don't you?"  
I at least had the satisfaction of seeing Kirova caught off guard as she glanced between us and Dimitri. "No... that's impossible. That hasn't happened in centuries."  
"It's obvious," he said. "I suspected as soon as I started watching them.**"

"Wow, way to sound like a creepy stalker, Belikov." Christian said sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes at him.

"**Neither Lissa nor I responded, and I averted my eyes from his. "That is a gift," murmured Victor from his corner. "A rare and wonderful thing."  
"The best guardians always had that bond," added Dimitri. "In the stories."  
Kirova's outrage returned. "Stories that are centuries old," she exclaimed. "Surely you aren't suggesting that we let her stay after everything she's done?"  
He shrugged. "She might be wild and disrespectful—"  
"Wild and disrespectful?" I interrupted. "Who the hell are you anyway? Outsources help?"  
"Guardian Belikov is the princess's guardian now," said Kirova. "Her **_**sanctioned**_** guardian."**

"Low blow," Eddie murmured. Lissa smiled at him and leaned back into Christian. She seemed tired.

"**You got cheap foreign labour to protect Lissa?"  
That was pretty mean of me to say—particularly since most Moroi and their guardians were of Russian or Romanian descent—but the comment seemed cleverer at the time than it really was. And it wasn't like I was one to talk. I might have been raised in the U.S., but my parents were foreign-born. My dhampir mother was Scottish—red-haired, with a ridiculous accent—and I'd been told my Moroi dad was Turkish. That genetic combination had given me skin the same colour as the inside of an almond, along with what I liked to think were semi-exotic desert-princess features: bid dark eyes and hair so deep brown that it usually looked black. I wouldn't have minded inheriting the red hair, but we take what we get."**

"Ah, Rose." Lissa smiled. "Always wanting what she can't have." A wink was thrown at me as well as a subtle flicker of her fingers, pointing at Dimitri.

"You bet," I winked back with a smile of my own.

"**Kirova threw her hands up in exasperation and turned to him. "You see? Completely undisciplined! All the psychic bonds and **_**very**_** raw potential in the world can't make up for that. A guardian without discipline is worse than no guardian."  
"So teach her discipline. Classes just started. Put her back in and get her training again."  
"Impossible. She'll be hopelessly behind her peers."  
"No, I won't." I argued. No one listened to me.  
"Then give her extra training sessions," he said."**

"Awe, is poor Rosie not used to being ignored?" Christian cooed.

"Call me Rosie one more time and see what happens," I said in the coldest voice I could manage. It reminded me much of when Dimitri was Strigoi, the hard and malice edge that always seemed to surround his voice.

Christian just rolled his eyes and I saw Adrian getting impatient. "Shut up, would you."

"**They continued on while the rest of us watched the exchange like it was a Ping-Pong game. My pride was still hurt over the ease with which Dimitri had tricked us, but it occurred to me that he might very well keep me here with Lissa. Better to stay at this hellhole than be without her. Through our bond, I could feel her trickly of hope.  
"Who's going to put in the extra time?" demanded Kirova. "You?"  
Dimitri's argument came to an abrupt stop. "Well, that's not what I—"  
Kirova crossed her arms with satisfaction. "Yes. That's what I thought."**

"Well if Dimitri didn't say he would be your mentor... how did he end up as your mentor?" Mia questioned in confusion. She seemed enthralled by what was happening.

"Just wait," Dimitri murmured.

"**Clearly at a loss, he frowned. His eyes flickered toward Lissa and me, and I wondered what he saw. Two pathetic girls, looking at him with big pleading eyes? Or two runaways who'd broken out of a high-security school and swiped half of Lissa's inheritance?"**

Everyone looked toward Dimitri for his answer. "A little bit of both."

"**Yes," he said finally. "I can mentor Rose. I'll give her extra sessions along with her normal ones."  
"And then what?" retorted Kirova angrily. "She goes unpunished?"  
"Find some other way to punish her," answered Dimitri. "Guardian numbers have gone down too much to risk losing another. A girl, in particular."  
His unspoken words made me shudder, reminding me of my earlier statement about "blood whores." Few dhampir girls become guardians anymore.  
Victor suddenly spoke up from his corner. "I'm inclined to agree with Guardian Belikov. Sending Rose away would be a shame, a waste of talent."**

"I wonder why Victor didn't agree with Kirova. Sending you away would have made it a hell of a lot easier to kidnap Lissa." Christian mused.

"Because Victor some-what liked me before I started to threaten him and treat him like the jerk he... was." Victor's death was a touchy subject for me. "And besides, he needed me there for Lissa to keep her sane while he orchestrated his sick plans."

"Rose is right," Agreed Lissa quietly. "He used to see her as a... friend, I guess."

"Anyway, please read on." Adrian's eyes flittered from mine down to the book.

"**Ms. Kirova stared out her windows. It was completely black outside. With the Academy's nocturnal schedule, **_**morning**_** and **_**afternoon**_** were relative terms. That, and they kept the windows tinted to block out excess light.  
When she turned back around, Lissa met her eyes. "Please, Ms. Kirova. Let Rose stay."  
**_**Oh, Lissa**_**, I thought. **_**Be careful**_**. Using compulsion on another Moroi was dangerous—particularly in front of witnesses. But Lissa was only using a tiny bit, and we needed all the help we could get. Fortunately, no one seemed to realise what was happening.  
I don't even know if the compulsion made a difference, but finally, Kirova sighed. "If Miss Hathaway stays, here's how it will be." She turned to me. "Your continued enrolment at St. Vladimir's is strictly probationary. Step out of line **_**once**_**, and you're gone. You will attend all classes and required trainings for novices your age. You will also train with Guardian Belikov in every spare moment you have—before **_**and**_** after classes. Other than that, you are banned from all social activities, except meals and will stay in your dorm. Fail to comply with any of this, and you will be sent... away."**

Eddie let out a low whistle.

"That's a long list," Mia murmured. She seemed relieved that it wasn't her.

"Hmm." I agreed.

"**I gave a harsh laugh. "Banned from all social activities? Are you trying to keep us apart?" I nodded towards Lissa. "Afraid we'll run away again?"  
"I'm taking precautions. As I'm sure you recall, you were never properly punished for destroying school property. You have a lot to make up for." Her thin lips tightened into a straight line. "You are being offered a very generous deal. I suggest you don't let your attitude endanger it."  
I started to say that it wasn't generous at all, but then I caught Dimitri's gaze. It was hard to read. He might have been telling me that he believed in me. He might have been telling me I was an idiot to keep fighting with Kirova. I didn't know."**

For the second time tonight everyone turned to Dimitri for his answer. "The second one. Definitely the second one." He chuckled.

I pouted and elbowed him. He kissed the top of my hair gently and Adrian quickly started to read before we ended up getting carried away.

"**Looking away from him for the second time during the meeting, I stared at the floor, conscious of Lissa beside me and her own encouragement burning in our bond. At long last, I exhaled and glanced back up at the headmistress.  
"Fine. I accept."**

"Finally!" Christian yelled in relief.

"That's the end of chapter two," Adrian murmured quietly, closing the book and placing it on the couch beside him. He seemed deep in thought but quickly shrugged it off. "So little dhampir, when do we find out how you damaged school property?" a lazy grin spread across his face.

"Later," I replied cryptically.

Everyone left my room soon after but Dimitri stayed behind. We both fell asleep on my bed, curled up in each others embrace.


End file.
